1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a watercraft. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved sponson design for a watercraft.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal watercraft have become very popular in recent years. An enthusiasm for competition has grown with this popularity, and as a result, personal watercraft have become increasingly faster. Many personal watercraft today are capable of traveling at speeds above 60 mph. At such speeds, however, some watercraft, especially those with modified engines, tend not to provide the stability that many riders prefer. High-performance personal watercraft also tend not to respond in a manner that many riders desire.
To improve the stability and the handling characteristics of the watercraft at high speeds, many personal watercraft now include sponsons. A sponson is an elongated rib attached to a side of the personal watercraft hull. Personal watercraft generally include a pair of sponsons which are positioned on opposite sides of the watercraft at the same position and in the same angular orientation relative to the outer chines of the watercraft hull. Some sponsons are integrally formed with the hull when the watercraft hull is molded. Other sponsons are fixed to the hull in a set position and angular orientation relative to the hull outer chines by conventional fasteners, e.g., screws.
Sponsons give a personal watercraft greater stability by creating greater hull surface area when the watercraft is up on plane. The effective hull surface area at high speeds offers greater stability and gives the rider the feeling that the personal watercraft is wider than its actual width.
The sponsons also improve the handling characteristics of the personal watercraft. The sponsons counteract the rider's shifted weight when turning, thereby allowing the rider to lean into a turn. By positioning the sponsons at points on the hull sides which lie below the water line when the watercraft is turning, the turning or handling characteristics of the watercraft also become more aggressive; a low position of the sponsons on the hull sides makes the watercraft more responsive.
The optimum placement of the sponsons on a personal watercraft varies with the rider's size, the rider's riding style, the number of riders, and riding conditions (i.e., water roughness). No perfect placement of the sponsons on the watercraft exists to maximize the stability and handling characteristics of the watercraft for every rider and under every riding condition. Previous sponson placement has been selected to produce a particular riding style, which of course does not suit every rider of the watercraft.
This problem is compounded when the watercraft is used by both single and multiple riders. Varying the number of riders gives rise to different loadings of the watercraft in a fore-and-aft direction, and the ideal position of the sponsons changes depending upon the number of riders.